Conveyor belts have been known for many years, and are commonly used in many different fields of technology. Conveyor belts convey different items for cooling, drying, coating, cooking, and many other applications. Different types of conveyor belts include mesh belts, balanced weave belts, and wire belts.
Wire conveyor belts provide a more simple design than mesh and balanced weave belts. Wire conveyor belts are used for material handling, cooking, icing, slicing, breading, cooling, filling, inspecting, and packing of products like breads, rolls, buns, donuts, confections, cakes, pies, pastries, meat, seafood, poultry, and various processed products. They are also excellent for light-duty applications in metalworking and other industries. The open design of a conventional wire conveyor belt provides efficient operation with minimum maintenance and easy cleanup to meet sanitation requirements. A wire conveyor belt generally comprises a plurality of spaced metal rods interconnected by a plurality of “knuckle” connection elements formed at the rod ends. Some wire conveyor belts have sheet metal slats attached to the rods, for example, the wire conveyor belt disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,987,972, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Wire conveyor belts, however, often create a number of problems in the food industry in particular. It has been found, for example, that in some instances the rods of a wire conveyor belt can leave a mark on a food product that “runs” on top of the belt. The markings may become even more prominent if the product is heated while it is on the belt, if the product is put under pressure, or if the product being conveyed is naturally soft or pliable. Since product appearance is important for gaining consumer acceptance, particularly when food products are involved, the resulting markings can be a barrier to the use of a wire conveyor belt to carry certain products. The rods of the wire conveyor belts are also smooth and do not substantially grip or retain items that have smooth or slippery surfaces. Additionally, the components of the aforementioned wire conveyor belts, e.g., metal rods, knuckle connection elements, and metal slats affixed to the metal rods, require multiple manufacturing technologies. The manufacturing of multiple, different components as well as assembling the multiple components of the conveyor belt adds to the overall cost and complication of wire conveyor belt production. Accordingly, there exists a need in the marketplace for a conveyor belt that is simple to manufacture and assemble and can grip items with smooth or slippery surfaces without leaving marks on food products.